Drug charges laid against shareholder in Weyburn pot dispensary

A Weyburn man is now facing a raft of drug charges after police officers raided what they say was an illegal marijuana dispensary.

The 33-year-old man, who was a shareholder in Greenleaf Compassion, is charged with possession of a controlled substance (marijuana) exceeding three kilograms, trafficking in a controlled substance exceeding three kilograms, possession of cocaine and possession of proceeds of crime. He was released from custody and is due to appear in court next month.

According to the Weyburn Police Service, the investigation was sparked as a result of public complaints since December into the operation of Greenleaf Compassion, on Ebel Road in that city. A police news release alleges the business was “operating under the guise of a legitimate licensed marijuana dispensary.”

Police allege it wasn’t operating “in accordance with Health Canada regulations governing medical marijuana and its sale, and as such was in complete contravention of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.”

A number of marijuana products and a significant amount of raw marijuana was seized when officers executed a search warrant at the business on Thursday.

Police said Monday that the investigation is still ongoing and further charges are possible.

In November, the owner of a marijuana dispensary in Whitewood was charged after RCMP raided the operation. In a similar vein, the Saskatchewan Compassion Club, a non-profit dispensary based in Saskatoon, was raided with similar charges brought against its operator in October 2015.